More than 80 United Methodist churches in Iowa are ending their affiliation with the denomination. (Stories: Register, Gazette) The action is part of a slow-motion schism over gay rights that the COVID pandemic has made extra messy.
The Garwin, Geneseo, and Gladbrook churches are among those that are leaving, effective June 30. They are part of a cluster that spreads west to Owasa and Laurel. There are also clusters in Linn County and the Mahaska-Keokuk county area, but the map spreads from Doon to southern Lee County. The 83 churches leaving are only 11% of the total in the Iowa Conference, but many of them are the only United Methodist church in town. Here’s the disaffiliation agreement for Geneseo. The others are the same except for names and signatures.
The schism was supposed to be voted on at the UMC General Conference in May 2020. It didn’t happen, because 2020 happened. Instead, churches that wish to leave are doing so under a plan from 2019 that expires at the end of this year. For more information, see this Religion News Service story from last May and Associated Press story from last October.
An option for the departing churches is the Global Methodist Church, which launched last year and is keeping prohibitions on gay marriage and clergy. That is where the Marshalltown church that decided to leave is going, reports the Times-Republican.